Clothes for persons requiring bodily device attachments

ABSTRACT

Provided is a garment adapted for wear by persons incapable of donning conventional clothing due to a bulky device attached or connected to their person or by a continuous connection to an external device. The garment comprises front and back panels applicable to said person&#39;s torso and sleeve panels applicable to said person&#39;s arm. The panels have opposing side and sleeve margins with fastening means distributed thereon for securing the garment under said person&#39;s arms and down the side of said person&#39;s torso by interconnecting the panels along opposing releasably fastened edge margins in the worn position of the garment, without the necessity of placing said person&#39;s head or arms through the clothing holes in normal dressing movements.

This application is filed as a continuation-in-part to U.S. applicationSer. No. 10/858,360 filed Jun. 1, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

This invention is related to novel garment assembly especially usefulfor those requiring a device attachment to an upper appendage or thetorso. More particularly, the garment is provided with seams runningfrom the hem to the sleeve which can be assembled around the wearer'sbody without requiring the normal dressing movements of placing the armsthrough sleeves.

Those who require device attachment to their arms or torso often find itdifficult to don conventionally-designed garments due to the bulkinessof the attached device or a connection between the attached device andan external portion which restricts the insertion of the arms or torsothrough the designation portions of the garment. Donning traditionalgarments requires the detachment and reattachment of the medicating ormonitoring equipment by a nurse or qualified aide, adding another taskto the already overwhelmed health-care providers. Many patients do notget dressed due to their reluctance to ask for, or the reluctance ofhealth-care workers to provide, such assistance. The patient may then berelegated to wearing hospital gowns which may depress the spirit andslow recovery.

Unlike hospital gowns, this garment gives a conventional appearancewhile allowing sleeve closure around the arms and torso withoutrequiring removal of any device or connection. The ability to don asleeve without conventional dressing movements allows the device orattachment to be concealed within the garment. Unlike garments createdfor the handicapped, the body of the garment has a conventional frontalclosure, convincingly creating the impression of a conventional garment.Sleeves can be donned conventionally if the arm and torso are free ofencumbrances, allowing the garment continued use once the device orconnection has been removed. The object of the present invention is toprovide clothing which is conventional in appearance but which can beeasily donned by those who cannot place their arm through a sleeve inthe convention manner of dressing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is a major objective of the present invention to provide clothingwhich, while appearing conventional, is constructed so as to enabletheir donning with ease by the person being medicated or monitored bymachine hookup. It is a more particular object of the invention toprovide clothing which can be assembled on the torso of the wearerwithout need of a nurse to detach and reattach a medicating ormonitoring device.

This objective is achieved in accordance with the teachings hereof, by agarment adapted for wear by a person being medicated or monitored byattachment to a device. The garment comprises a back panel, applicableto the back of the person's torso, and one or two front panels,applicable to the front of the person's torso, where one or both frontand rear panel opposing side seams have fastening means distributedthereon for assembling the garment around the person's torso. If onlyone side margin is releasably fastened, the other side margin of thefront and rear panels is to be permanently affixed. The garment furthercomprises two sleeve panels, attached to the shoulders and having, onone or both sleeve, a split bottom seam with fastening means distributedthereon for assembling the garment over the person's arms without thenecessity of the normal dressing movement of placing a hand through asleeve. If only one sleeve has a releasably fastened bottom seam, thebottom seam on the other sleeve is to be permanently affixed. Thereleasably fastened seams allows the garment to be opened on one or bothsides from bottom hem to sleeve cuff, placed around the person's torsoand arm, and then fastened.

In particular embodiments, the mentioned front panels are secured to theperson's torso by means of overlapping the panels and securing with alength of material. Alternatively, the panels may be secured by means ofa fastening system attached to opposing center edge margins of the frontpanels, including but not limited to a zipper, buttons, snaps, orsimilar fastening means.

Accordingly then, in another preferred embodiment of this invention, thegarment comprises fabric front and rear panels with both front and rearpanel opposing side margins overlapped in a fastener securedrelationship and having the opposing shoulder seams permanently secured,and further including fabric sleeve panels permanently attached to thefront and back panels at the armholes and having the bottom seamsdefined by opposing panel edge margins overlapped in a fastener securedrelationship.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further descried as to illustrative embodiments inconjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of an embodiment of the invention as it would look whenworn, where front panels are closed over the torso by means of a lengthof fabric.

FIG. 2 is side view of an embodiment of the invention where front panelsare closed over the torso by means of fasteners distributed alongopposing side margins and sleeves are closed over the arms by means offasteners distributed along opposing bottom margins.

FIG. 3 is a view of an embodiment of the invention where the side andsleeve releasably fastened margins are fully opened.

FIG. 4 is a view of an embodiment of the invention where both side andsleeve releaseably fastened margins are fully opened.

DETAILED INVENTION DESCRIPTION

Garment is donned by placing back panel against wearer's back and thenplacing the front panel or panels against the front of the wearer'storso, keeping bottom arm and side seams open. If only one side seam isreleasably fastened, the opposing arm must be placed through the sleevein a conventional manner. Once the body of the garment has been placedaround wearer's torso, the releasably fastened seams are fastened underthe wearer's arms and down the side of the torso. If there are two frontpanels, the front panels are then secured together around the wearer'sbody.

Thus, a nurse or aide is not needed to get the wearer dressed, a familymember of the wearer themselves may apply the garment due to the factthat donning the garment by securing the sleeve portion around the armand torso once the body is in position within the garment does notrequire detachment of any device affixed to the wearer's person.

The above described embodiments of this invention are merely descriptiveof its principles and are not to be considered limiting. The scope ofthis invention instead shall be determined from the scope of thefollowing claims including their equivalents.

1. Garment adapted for wear by one requiring device attachment on anupper appendage or torso which renders them incapable of executingnormal dressing; said garment comprising Two front panels applicable tothe front of said person's torso, A rear panel applicable to the back ofsaid person's torso, Said front and rear panels having opposing top edgemargins permanently fastened to one another and opposing side edgemargins having fastening means distributed along their lengths forsimultaneously assembling and securing the garment along said person'sbody, Sleeve segments having fastening means distributed on bottomlength of the sleeves from cuff to underarm for completing a sleevearound said person's arm.
 2. Garment according to claim 1 in which saidfront, rear, and sleeve panels are formed of fabric.
 3. Garmentaccording to claim 1 in which said front and rear panels extend to alength between said person's knees and ankles.
 4. Garment according toclaim 1 in which said front and rear panels extend to a length alongsaid person's upper thighs.
 5. Garment according to claim 1 in whichsaid fastening means, disposed along sleeve panels from cuff to armpitand along front and rear panels from armpit to bottom hem compriselongitudinally extended pressure responsive mechanical interconnectorssecured to opposing edge margins of said panels defining relation. 6.Garment according to claim 5 in which said fastening means are disposedalong only one sleeve panel seam and the corresponding front and rearpanel side seam with the sleeve panel seam and corresponding front andrear panel side seam of the other side being permanently affixed to theopposing margins.
 7. Garment according to claim 5 in which saidfastening means are disposed along both sleeve panels and both sideseams of the front and rear panels.
 8. Garment according to claim 1 inwhich the front panels are closed around said person's torso by means ofa length of material.
 9. Garment according to claim 1 in which the frontpanels are closed around said person's torso by means of fastening meansdisposed along opposing center edge margins of the front panels. 10.Garment adapted for wear by one requiring device attachment on an upperappendage or torso which renders them incapable of executing normaldressing; said garment comprising A front panels applicable to the frontof said person's torso, A rear panel applicable to the back of saidperson's torso, Said front and rear panels having opposing top edgemargins permanently fastened to one another and opposing side edgemargins having fastening means distributed along their lengths forsimultaneously assembling and securing the garment along said person'sbody, Sleeve segments having fastening means distributed on bottomlength of the sleeves from cuff to underarm for completing a sleevearound said person's arm.
 11. Garment according to claim 10 in whichsaid front, rear, and sleeve panels are formed of fabric.
 12. Garmentaccording to claim 10 in which said front and rear panels extend to alength between said person's knees and ankles.
 13. Garment according toclaim 10 in which said front and rear panels extend to a length alongsaid person's upper thighs.
 14. Garment according to claim 10 in whichsaid fastening means, disposed along sleeve panels from cuff to armpitand along front and rear panels from armpit to bottom hem compriselongitudinally extended pressure responsive mechanical interconnectorssecured to opposing edge margins of said panels defining relation. 15.Garment according to claim 14 in which said fastening means are disposedalong only one sleeve panel seam and the corresponding front and rearpanel side seam with the sleeve panel seam and corresponding front andrear panel side seam of the other side being permanently affixed to theopposing margins.
 16. Garment according to claim 14 in which saidfastening means are disposed along both sleeve panels and both sideseams of the front and rear panels.